The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-22
PLOT DISCOVERED.
BOSTON STREET CAR STRIKERS
Load tho Fourth Story OF n bulldog with
Rocks with tho Intention of HuriIng
Them oil Passing Cars Under tho
I' Cover OF arkness-frustrntsd,

BosroN, Feb. ol.-The rlost startling
feature Of the South Boston strike was uu.
earthed to-day.
The Post has discovered what appears to
have been concerted plan to destroy both
life and property should tho horse cars OF
this line run after dark.
For aeyoral days tho patrons Of tho south
Boston road have murmured loudly be.
cause oi the supposed timidity OF the Of.
tcials OF the company or the police au.
thorilies, which forced them To get home
the best way they could aitor six o'clock
Of night. All cars have been withdrawn
about that hour, whatever the condition
OF the weather or walking. Tho reason ia
now plain, and the facts Gro vouched Ior
by tho highest police officials OF the city
Of Boston. N II-''g
Early last week letter was received at
police headquarters from a resident OF
South Cove" This letter stated that ans.
picious and inComprehensable movements
had been noticed in tall building on
Kneelaud street" Men had been seen
carrying what appeared to be cobblestones
and bricks to the upper portions OF this
building withou! any apparent purposo.
This information was not yery de6nite
but was OF once acted upon. Orders were
Issued for thorough inspection OF every
building on the street that was open TO
suspicion.
On Wednesday the agents Of the police
found something. On the corner OF Knee
land and Federal streets stand a four-story
brick residence block, containing hun.
dreds Of inhabitants Of the very lowest
classes; narrow stairs run from both the
streets to tho roof, furnishing opportuni-
Ties for ingrass and egress that had often
baitled the police. On the top Of the
building, arranged in heaps Just inside a
narrow and shallow wooden coping, was
lound miscellaneous assortment OF
brlcka, whole and broken, with q iew psy.
ing stones-the whole forming danger.
GUS arsenal from the standpoint of q passer
below, and there was every indication
that they wero for tho purpose OF attack.
In addition, tho chimneys on tho build.
ing, already loosened by time and tho ele.
ments, had been worked upon until every
brick from top to bottom could bs pluck.
cd of with the hand il wanted.
1t would be folly to say that the strikers
bad planned this despicable ambuscade,
Not tho slightest proof exists against any
individual. The fetid rooms below
swarm with human beings as q granary
with vermin, and, as told above, the en-
frances from two streets, never fastened,
offer . free passage from the pavement to
the roof. 1t is, therefore, impossible to
tell whether the intended assailants even
lived in the building.
All cars from South Boston come mn
Federal street and turn into Kueeland
street at this point. Turning the curve at
the walk the possibilities of an attack of
this nature, il that was the object aimed
at, are simply horrible to contemplate. A
shower OF bricks from this height descend
ing on crowded horse car under cloak of
darkness would have been murderous in
result, with slight possibility of tracing
the miscreants. In addition to the op.
portunities Of escape mentioned, adjacent
buildings were easily accessible from the
roof OF tho corner structure.
The South Boston road was at once no.
titled, and 60 tho cars were taken of each
night in spite Of tho public Inconvenience
and consequent growls. In the meantime
the collection Of miesiles was removed by
the police and every building in this sec.
ton along the route traversed by the cars
was carefully inspected. For several days
past the passsr-by has wondered at tho
abnormal display Of police force in this
vicinity, but it was supposed to bs the TO-
suit OF the strike,